


Wavelength

by GalaxyAqua



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, Roommates, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-15
Updated: 2016-02-19
Packaged: 2018-05-06 22:00:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5432327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GalaxyAqua/pseuds/GalaxyAqua
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yamaguchi has absolutely no idea why his roommate hates him so much. But he tells himself that he’s going to find out. Of course, after he finds out how on earth he can get new and improved friends. And a whole lot of other things. He sort of wishes his deduction skills didn't suck so much.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> ヾ(´▽｀;)ゝ I've been in literal pain for a week, let me have my self-indulgent fic-dive into fandoms I've never written for before 
> 
> also idk about other ships in this because knowing me they'll just show up along the way?? but if people would rather I not, since it's not advertised, I'll try and keep it tsukkiyama centric I guess! please tell me if I get too ooc ;;

Yamaguchi glares the broom in the corner into submission, and sighs when it remains unmoving and entirely unhelpful.

(Just like himself, really, but who on earth is going to compare themselves to a dusty old broom? … wait, he just did. Ugh… pull it together, Tadashi.)

He wonders if there’s a more effective way of killing time.

He’s in no mood to study (nobody ever is, he reasons), and neither Hinata nor Kageyama nor Yachi will pick up their phones (his friend list is a grand total of three, shut up, he does _not_ need to get out more, it’s not like it matters that much anyway… but then again, it would be nice if he did have someone closer, at least… oh, what is he saying? He should treasure what he’s got.).

Maybe they’re just busy. Maybe they just never check their phones, and hey, it’s not as if he needs to start getting anxious now. None of them would avoid him for no reason – probably – and it’s not like he hasn’t forgotten to answer their texts and calls in the past. Careless people, the lot of them. He’s been with the dumb trio since high school though, and he knows their affection can be easily swayed through various… means.

(Sinister as it sounds, it’s really just volleyball and food. Or in Yachi’s case, it’s offering a quiet outing with parfaits, because god knows the girl can get frazzled after working the long hours she does.)

He thinks about his friends and their boundless energy and their knack for disrupting public peace, particularly to the incident when Hinata accidentally set Kageyama’s shoe on fire, then groans quietly.

Even if they did pick up their phones, there was a reason he didn’t follow them around 24/7 – and that was because they were only a magnet for trouble. He loves them dearly, as you love all your friends despite them all being morons, but sometimes new friends seemed to be the best way to escape from eternal embarrassment and a skill for apologizing at the speed of light.

But he wonders if, maybe, he just doesn’t know how to make friends anymore.

Hinata often says he knows people, and then there’s the well-used routine of “Hey Yamaguchi! You should totally meet my friend! You guys have a lot in common!” and bless Hinata, he surely means well, but his definition of ‘a lot in common’ often amounts to ‘you have freckles, right? He has freckles too! Or, like, something on his face. Same difference! You guys should be friends!’

Occasionally, when Kageyama feels up to it, he pipes in too, pointing at a stranger and saying, “They’re tall. You’re tall. You’d probably get along, right?” And it’s Kageyama Tobio, so it’s not a joke, he’s genuinely asking, but Yamaguchi can’t bring himself to shut the suggestion down (hence, the perpetual public humiliation, whenever he’s anywhere near his dear, dumbass friends).

He’s never going to start a conversation with, “Hi, I’m Yamaguchi, and I… noticed you’re kinda tall. Well, uh, I’m kinda tall too. Wanna be friends?” again.

(The cashier must have cracked his head laughing, even underneath all that obnoxious bed hair).

Thankfully, Yachi is the most reasonable of them all, but she’s very adamant that he does not go into new friendships unprepared. “Stranger danger, Yamaguchi!” She would say. “You don’t know who they could be! Serial killers exist and are very real, you know! Make sure you call me – w-wait, not me, but call someone reliable and don’t let them out of your sight – whenever you meet strangers, um, well, because…! God knows what they could do to you when you’re not looking – and the buddy system is the best system, right?”

It’s cute, and fitting of her, because she wants to become an elementary school teacher, but Yamaguchi is 21 and doesn’t want to ‘buddy system’ his way into making friends anymore.

But then again… what else can he do? He continues to stare at the broom in the corner, hoping that it will somehow sprout some divine deity who would give him the answers he wants. Making a habit out of sighing now, he exhales through another insecure drop of his thoughts. Who would want to be friends with such a lame guy, anyway?

Even the broom doesn’t want to be his friend, he laments, as he watches the handle slip from its place with a clatter, and lie morosely on the floor.

Tiring easily of staring cleaning products down, his eyes flick over to his roommate, wondering if the other would take a hint and help him relieve his boredom (and silent dilemma). No chance.

Tsukishima’s in his own world when those headphones come on – and, well, Yamaguchi’s not about to intrude. His head still hurts from the last time he made that mistake; though to be fair, it had been for a good reason. He hadn’t meant to break the window, honest! Though that stunt must’ve only served to knock him down another few pegs in his roommate’s books. He sighs again.

For the first few weeks, he tried. He really tried. Maybe he tried too hard, even, but his efforts were all fruitless.

Every greeting was brushed off.

Every conversation starter was quickly shut down.

Every small comment was ignored.

If any talk was necessary, it was always Tsukishima who started and ended it, and he kept it brief. It was also after their every interaction that the blond seemed to just sink into his seat and drown himself in music – as if the very thought of holding a conversation with Yamaguchi was just not worth his time.  

He _did_ try and get Tsukishima to get along with him via food bribery (hey, it worked on Kageyama and Hinata, right?), but of course, out of his own fretting, he had forgotten to check the expiry date, and, well. Maybe on top of everything, now the blond thinks he’s trying to kill him above being a nuisance overall.

He had been careful after that, and did all he could to stay out of his roommate’s way without being a total stranger.

However, no matter what he did, and how well he did it (he hadn’t cleaned his room at home in three years! And here he was, cleaning his dorm room practically weekly, which is a miracle in itself!), it seemed to be of no use whatsoever. He wasn’t loud, he didn’t leave a mess, any time he had to pull an all-nighter he pulled it at someone else’s dorm – so, why? Why can’t they just get along?

Is it because he’s awkward? Because he rambles sometimes?

Maybe it’s because he’s not all that pretty – but that would be a stupid, superficial reason, wouldn’t it? He tries to imagine Tsukishima shutting him down, saying, “I only hang out with pretty people, sorry, I’m a VIP at club beautiful and only hot people can touch me” and snickers to himself.

Even without knowing the guy very well, he knows that’s blowing it a little out of proportion.

But if the blond won’t talk to him, what’s stopping the assumptions, really? He can say whatever he wants about his roommate, as clearly the blond isn’t going to do anything to stop it.

(Okay, no, Yamaguchi’s not that much of a jerk. He just likes to have a bit of fun sometimes. Honest.)

“Hey, Tsukishima,” he says softly, and because the other doesn’t turn around, he figures it’s just safe to keep talking. “You really love listening to music, don’t you?”

There’s no response.

“You know, I’ve been wondering,” He tries again, “Do you play any instrument yourself?”

A couple of taps on a keyboard, and Yamaguchi can now hear indecipherable noises coming from Tsukishima’s headphones – he must have turned the volume up so that he wouldn’t have to hear the other’s annoying voice. Figures.

“I played an instrument once,” He muses more to himself than anything. “Well, I wasn’t any good, but it was fun while it lasted. I’ve been thinking of taking it up again, but I wouldn’t know where to start.” He pauses, almost idiotically waiting for a response that wouldn’t come.

Eventually he just starts up again, talking just because he’s bored and he can. It’s not the first time he’s done so – but it’s the first he’s started without leading into it with some lavish, improvised introduction. He wonders if it matters. It’s not like his audience can hear him anyway.

Not once during his tirade did Tsukishima show any sign of caring, or even listening to what Yamaguchi was saying. He may not have even been aware he was being talked to at that point, slouched at his laptop as he was, with the music turned up all the way.

It’s almost 5 in the evening when he finally gets up, and Yamaguchi pauses mid-sentence, just to see what Tsukishima would do. He watches as the other packs his laptop away, tugging a bag over his shoulder and giving the room a once-over, finally letting his eyes (behind those shiny glasses of his) fall on Yamaguchi.

It hits Tadashi later that he probably looks starved for attention with a look that eager, and then he kinda hates himself again for not noticing it earlier. Nothing better than an attention-starved, desperate-for-friends, all-around-try-hard roommate, huh?

Oh, yeah, and he talks too much when he thinks no-one’s listening. There’s also that.  

The blond regards him with some disapproving look on his way out, but gives no indication that he knew the other had been ranting to him for the past few hours for no reason whatsoever. He slams the door shut behind him.

_So. Day 34 and Tsukishima Kei is still hostile and showing no signs of change._

Yamaguchi has absolutely no idea why his roommate hates him so much. 

But he tells himself that he’s going to find out.  

* * *

 

Investigating the situation the way detectives do on TV gives no clues.

He’s too much of a coward, and too polite, first off, to go through the other’s things. Or speak to the other’s friends. But what he lacks in courage and recklessness, is made up for in common decency and determination.

It’s a few days after his last rant that Yamaguchi decides that he must know what he’s done to make Tsukishima hate him or else he’ll never be at peace – but he doesn’t know where to start.

He’s tailed his roommate only once, but was overly paranoid that he would get caught and left before he could learn anything remotely interesting about the elusive blond. Another time, he had almost made his way to Tsukishima’s unattended laptop, before he had slapped himself in the face and said that that was a very, very bad idea. At least the screensaver was cute. Apparently Tsukishima liked dinosaurs.

On the bright side, his ‘good mornings’ have finally shown potential for improvement; as now, instead of ignoring them completely, Tsukishima often mutters, “Shut up Yamaguchi” in response to them. And if that isn’t progress, then what is?

Then again, the headphones still go back to full blast seconds before Yamaguchi can ever start a proper conversation with the blond, so maybe in a way, he’s still back where he started.

It’s not as if it’s new, he supposes.

(It always takes a few weeks for things to really sink into Yamaguchi’s head anyway, and maybe that’s why he’s often late to bandwagon and also why he’s sometimes a few steps behind everyone else. He’s smart though, and if anything, Tadashi’s glad he has the brain enough to compensate for an admittedly long list of other flaws.)

He ponders this all the way through class the next day, and in the hallways, when he bumps into a glass door, hearing a light chuckle from the other side as one kind soul opened said door for him, choosing not to comment on his reddening complexion.

“Thinking about something important?” The guy asks, gentle smile on his fair features.

“Yes,” he replies instinctively, then, “no,” because he doesn’t want to bother this chivalrous human being with his own lack of social skills. “Sorry. Thanks.” He gestures to the door. “For… uh, opening this. And letting me in.”

“Don’t mention it.” The other smiles wider, even though Yamaguchi just feels like crawling into a hole and pretending that he knows how to talk to other people when he really doesn’t. He tries, and that’s what counts. He hopes. “You looked a little out of it back there. Are you okay?”

“No, yeah. No. I mean, no, I was not out of it and yes I am okay, and I’m sorry for the trouble –” God, he just needs to learn how to shut himself up…

“It’s no trouble at all, I know how it is.” Ushering him in, the other nods his head once, silver hair bobbing, when he continues with, “Try not to fall asleep in class. I know how this room gets,” he laughs, looking into some unknown camera with a wink, “But education is important, so stay in school, kids.”

Yamaguchi echoes the nod, and shuffles his feet, unsure of how to reply to that.

“Oh,” the other student gasps suddenly. “I’m Sugawara, by the way. Though everyone just calls me Suga. Forgive me, I should have introduced myself first –”

“Oh, no, it’s okay, it’s fine,” Yamaguchi waves his hands, effectively bringing a halt to Suga’s rolling words. “I’m Yamaguchi, thanks for opening the door. Again.”

“Again, it’s not a problem. Nice meeting you.” He offers a hand to shake. In the heat of the moment, he slaps it away instead, and is grateful once more that Suga doesn’t seem the type to tease others about their unfortunately horrid instincts in social situations. “That’ll be our signature greeting then, huh, Yamaguchi?” He says instead, completely rectifying the situation with finesse. Then he smiles, taking a step to the door and waving. “See you around?”

“What, really, sure, if you want to, I mean,” is all Yamaguchi manages to say, before Suga has vanished and the first thing that hits him is _this is why Tsukishima hates me._ He’s incompetent. At everything. And this very randomly timed meeting with this very randomly chosen person has sort of just proved that.

Usually, holding a proper conversation with a stranger would make Yamaguchi happy. He doesn’t have an aversion to human interaction; he only sucks at it. He finds himself thinking that’s why he needs someone to take the reins for him, so that he can follow (he’s good at following!) and maybe then the thought that _Tsukishima hates me_ wouldn’t turn into _everybody hates me_ , and he’d actually stand a chance at surviving in this hazardous world.  

But the thought eventually evolves into _this is why I hate me_ , and he pulls out his notebook and does little else before class starts.

Later, it’s on a complete and total whim that he returns to the dorm and shouts, “I’m useless!” after class, and apparently stuns Tsukishima right out of his chair.

“Sorry, Tsukki,” he says immediately, his next thought being _fuck, why did I give him a nickname, this is not what I want to deal with right now,_ but luckily the quick phrase is brushed off in favor of his roommate furrowing his eyebrows in irritation.

“What’s with you?” The blond asks, adjusting his glasses. It effectively makes him seem more intimidating than usual. “You’re always on edge about something. It’s pathetic. Is there a problem here?”

“No!” He blurts, arms rising. “No, there’s not a problem – uh, you’re not a problem, the problem, I mean, sorry, no, I’ll stop being pathetic, just go back to your computer, haha, pretend nothing happened, it’s all good, okay?”

An eyebrow is raised. Clearly, Tsukishima was clever enough to dissect the only important part of his drivel. “So _I’m_ the problem, am I?”

“Uh, no? I just said you weren’t…?”

“You’re a bad liar.”

There’s silence between them for a moment, before Yamaguchi’s shoulders slump.

“Why do you hate me?” He asks, figuring out the direct approach would make his death short-lived, but as always, his roommate does not seem to care very much for his plight.

Tsukishima just laughs, and slips on his headphones once more, settling into his chair as if their conversation never happened.

“Hey,” Yamaguchi gripes dejectedly, “Listen to me when I’m talking…?”

He sighs, and starts on another long rant to himself, knowing full well that the buzzing of Tsukishima’s headphones means that the other wouldn’t hear him. And it’s for the better too, as he wasn’t sure where else he’d be able to vent out all his thoughts like this, letting them free like a message in the bottle, tossed gently into the ocean waves.

“You know, Tsukki, I really don’t get you…”

* * *

 

If there’s one thing Tsukishima has learnt about Yamaguchi Tadashi is that he doesn’t think when he talks.

Certainly, when there are eyes on him, he can keep it to a tolerable level, but once left alone, he just lets it loose and doesn’t stop until he’s exhausted himself of words. It’s annoying, at first, if you’re not listening to what he’s saying.

But Tsukishima, despite having little to no incentive to listen to what his roommate would blab on about next, had started to listen and hasn’t regretted it (yet).

“… so, what I’m trying to say, is that maybe, maybe if you close your eyes and put a peg on your nose, beef jerky might taste nice with ice cream and curry? But I mean, Hinata eats everything, so I just went, ‘if you die early, it’s your own fault’. I think I scared him though, because then he spat it out, but seconds later, he just went back to it and said, ‘hey this isn’t a bad way to go’, so I just left him and prayed for his life and hoped he never got permission to enter a kitchen ever…”

Tsukishima bites his lip, trying to keep his expression cool and guarded. _This Hinata must be an idiot_ , he thinks, biting his lip harder as he hears Yamaguchi laugh at his own joke.

It’s the kind of lame thing that makes Tsukishima laugh himself – look at that guy over there, laughing at his own jokes, what a poser, am I right – but he’s not about to let Yamaguchi know that his sense of humor is almost identical to the blond’s own; right down to the stupidity and the occasional sarcasm that would slip without the other even noticing.  

“… but then, a while back, I was kinda grumpy so I told them, ‘stupidity cancels out stupidity, so there’s no risk of it rubbing off on me’, and they just stared at me like these lost little puppies and I was like oh my god I am so, so sorry, I didn’t mean it, but I did, only I didn’t mean it in like a _mean_ way, of course…”

Despite that, if one was to compare the two, Yamaguchi had an infinitely sweeter soul, and often after laughing at someone’s misfortune, would seek to remedy it by talking about the aforementioned victim’s greater traits. If he cared more, Tsukishima almost wonders what Yamaguchi would say about _him,_ had the occasion ever present itself, and had he been put on the spot to describe Tsukishima with the little knowledge he has of him.

Tsukishima is just contemplating this fact (he decides that the response would just be something dumb like ‘Tsukki is mean sometimes’, and no, he was not getting attached to that nickname, what the heck), when a message pops up on his screen, signaling a reply to a long, exasperating conversation. It starts pulling a real scowl from his features, as it goes on, and he considers exiting the conversation altogether. He should never have brought up his little hobby – not with Kuroo Tetsurou, at least.

Now that is something he regretted second. First on the list is ever befriending the male in the first place.

**Kuroo (** **Ф∀Ф** **):** dude, that’s not cool, what if he starts telling you something really personal because he thinks you can’t hear what he’s saying

**Kuroo (** **Ф∀Ф** **):** like I’m all for blackmailing and shit

**Kuroo (** **Ф∀Ф** **):** but this poor kid already has to deal with your jerkface as a roommate so just chill out a bit

**Kuroo (** **Ф∀Ф** **):** even if your jerkface is kinda pretty lmao <3 just saying

**Tsukishima:** he’s not going to say anything personal also stfu

Yamaguchi’s voice wavers, as he takes on a more somber tone which makes Tsukishima stiffen, ever so slightly. “… but I mean, I _was_ bullied a little in elementary school, and I guess high school wasn’t too great either, but hey, it’s not like it’s an issue now, so I’m kinda happy, in that regard? It must be nice to be one of the cool kids… you look like the type too, y’know. Someone cool like you…”

_Oh, shit._ The blond halts, knowing that the one-sided conversation could go any way now. Also because he hates it when Kuroo is right. This was supposed to be fun – and Yamaguchi was a funny subject – but he didn’t expect a sudden strip of backstory to just reveal itself like that.   

**Tsukishima:** shit

**Kuroo (** **Ф∀Ф** **):** what. did he tell you he loved you despite your terrible ways

**Kuroo (** **Ф∀Ф** **):** oh romeo

“… I kinda wish I had someone cool like you beside me during school, I guess? Oh, I don’t mean that in a weird way, of course, it’s just that dealing with Hinata, Kageyama and Yachi got way out of hand especially when it came to the volleyball club; which er, I didn’t do too well at either, but you probably know by now that I’m not that good at a lot of things so…”

**Tsukishima:** no, I’m getting the backstory

**Kuroo (** **Ф∀Ф** **):** nooooo

**Kuroo (** **Ф∀Ф** **):** the backstory is supposed to be unlocked only when you’ve reached level 3 friendship

**Kuroo (** **Ф∀Ф** **):** get out of there and come hear my backstory instead

**Tsukishima:** I’d rather not

**Kuroo (** **Ф∀Ф** **):** cold tsukki cold

“… actually, there’s something I’ve never told anyone…”

**Tsukishima:** don’t call me that

“… but I feel like even though you’re not listening, you’ve sort of become my confidante? Ah, that sounds pretty stupid out loud though…”

**Kuroo (** **Ф∀Ф** **):** seriously though why are you letting this happen

**Kuroo (** **Ф∀Ф** **):** what happened to your beautiful golden heart

**Tsukishima:** my what

“… I’m –”

The phone rings, blaring loudly in the quiet room and pushing Yamaguchi into motion, fabric rustling as background noise to the obnoxiously bright ringtone.

“Hello?” Tsukishima hears him say, “Oh, what? Who is this, sorry? Wait, what, sorry, you’re going to have to repeat that – oh, Kageyama? What do you mean you’re in jail? What did you – is Hinata with you? Did you call Yachi – what did you do?! Oh my god, okay, just give me a second, I’m coming – ”

Yamaguchi crashes into something on the way out, but he’s out the door like a hurricane, screaming something like, “Kageyama, no, just, just hold on, okay? Trust me, I’ll get there as fast as I can, so please don’t do anything stupid, and no! I’m not calling you stupid, I’m just saying that hypothetically, if you were to do something stupid – ”

The door slams on his way out, an action strangely violent for the gentle soul that committed it.

Tsukishima releases a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

Another message pops up on his screen.

**Kuroo (** **Ф∀Ф** **):** so

**Kuroo (** **Ф∀Ф** **):** this is gonna blow up in your face, calling it now

He scowls deeper.

**Tsukishima:** nothing’s going to happen, he just left

**Kuroo (** **Ф∀Ф** **):** you’re gonna get bitten in the ass

**Kuroo (** **Ф∀Ф** **):** you ass

**Tsukishima:** must you

**Kuroo (** **Ф∀Ф** **):** ass

**Tsukishima:** stop

He turns around and eyes the space Yamaguchi had been in only moments prior.

This is all just an innocent little game, isn’t it? Surely, he can’t be to blame when he’s not even saying anything… right? It’s not like it’s his fault Yamaguchi was quick to assume he wasn’t listening. It’s not like he ever said he couldn’t either, so it’s perfectly justifiable to sit back and enjoy the show.

…. Right?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've run out of excuses, but here it is
> 
> thank you for being patient btw!! I hope y'all have a beautiful morning/day/night wherever you are! also stay hydrated and take care of your precious selves, thank you!!

First and foremost, Kageyama Tobio is not a criminal. He did not do anything (anything too bad, that is) to end up here – it was all just some big understanding that was made worse because Hinata had told him to smile. Smile and wave? Yeah, right. Every time he does, something bad happens.

At least this time Hinata is with him, looking entirely guilty (as he is), and avoiding Kageyama’s glare, opting instead for playing with his fingers. He’s all sorts of restless; tapping his foot and fixing his clothing, but Kageyama chalks it up to just Hinata being Hinata and tries to ignore him.

It’s when the other starts pulling at his hair and murmuring things under his breath that Kageyama finally relents.

“Yamaguchi’s on his way.” He offers, and his companion brightens immediately. He then regrets his actions, because once the other has started, he just does not stop.

“He is? Oh, thank god.” Hinata doesn’t touch him, but he somehow moves closer with every word, “Did he say anything? Is he mad? Are we safe? Did you talk to Yachi? Is she okay? Are you – “

“Slow down, dumbass Hinata –“

“ – sure he’s coming now? Do we have to tell the police? Wait, we’re not technically _in_ jail yet so does he still count as a visitor or …? Or, hang on, _are_ we technically in jail? When can I go home? Can you ask them – ”

“Hinata,” Kageyama growls, already meeting his quota of Dealing with Hinata Shouyou™ for the day. “Shut up.”

 “Shutting up!” Hinata responds quickly. Not moments after, does he start, “But what if –“

“Hinata!”

“Don’t yell at me, that’s rude!”

“You’re yelling at me, idiot!”  

“But you yelled at me first!”

“You yelled at me second!”

“So what?! You started it!”

The sound of someone clearing their throat brings a swift end to the verbal brawl, and Hinata looks up first, followed by Kageyama’s steely gaze.

“Sorry to interrupt,” the newcomer, tall, gruff, and decidedly not Yamaguchi, waves lazily at them. “But I think we have a slight problem.”

* * *

Third on Tsukishima’s admittedly long list of regrets is telling Kuroo where he lived. After their conversation online had dwindled, the blond had almost relished in the time he could spend without having to converse or interact with Kuroo, when the doorbell rang.

Lo and behold, it was the king of the terrible bedheads and even more terrible cat jokes, Kuroo Tetsurou.

“What do you want.” Tsukishima had greeted flatly, seconds away from closing the door on Kuroo’s smug face.

But then, Kuroo had pulled some maneuver similar to diving (what the hell, Kuroo?) and had entered the threshold without so much as a word, only grinning wide as he moved to make himself comfortable on Tsukishima’s bed. Which brings them to now.

“Hey, nerd.” Kuroo waves, shooting finger guns in his general direction. “Thanks for letting me in.”

“Get out.”

Ignoring him, Kuroo’s sharp gaze scans the room, taking it in. It’s unsettling, because Kei has no idea what Kuroo’s looking at – or looking for – but he doesn’t comment on it. Kuroo isn’t going to find anything to gossip about here; nothing that happens in this room that would be worth a story, after all. It’s not long before Kuroo’s eyes move back up to meet his own, and Tsukishima regards him with caution.

“So I see you’ve been cleaning.” The intruder starts conversationally, but Tsukishima is able to catch the hint of disbelief in his friend’s (or whatever he is’) voice. It’s only amplified, with the added, “Or has somebody been doing the cleaning for you?”

“My roommate’s been doing it, but I didn’t ask him to.” The blond admits with a frown. He’s not going to lie. Lying to Kuroo is a fruitless endeavor, and he had learnt that the hard way. “Why are you here?”

“Your roommate’s been doing it.” Kuroo repeats. “Even though you didn’t ask him to.”

“That’s what I said.” He crosses his arms, landing in his chair and swiveling to face the other. “Don’t tell me something I already know.”

Kuroo gives him a look – one of those serious, stern looks usually reserved for when he’s going to say something insightful and important – but drops it soon after. He sighs. “Look. You’re a grown ass man, Tsukki, and you know what’s up. I’m not gonna interfere.” Though he says this, the word “yet” slips past his lips almost inaudibly.

“Good,” Tsukishima decides. He doesn’t know what Kuroo is trying to say, but his pride won’t let him ask for clarification. “My business is none of your business.”

“But if you’re ever feline down…”

“Get out of my sight.”

“… you know who to call!” Kuroo stretches, cat-like on his friend’s bed, and waves dismissively, “Shh, you know I’m the purrfect friend. Check meowt.”

“Please leave.”

He grins, a grin of finality, as he does what he is told and crawls over to the door. Then he turns, and says, “Oh, Tsukki, one more thing.”  

“What.”

“Keep him.”

And before Tsukishima can even consider deciphering the cryptic words, Kuroo is gone.

* * *

When Yamaguchi arrives at the police station, there are polite smiles and courteous nods of the head but no indication of where his friends are or what they are doing. He is hesitant to approach the reception, unsure of how to phrase the question he wants to ask, and wonders why it’s different from last time.

Last time, he had met Hinata and Kageyama right outside the station, and an officer had told him that it was just a skewed misunderstanding, and that they were free to go.

This time though, he’s left standing at the door, internally arguing with himself about what he should do next. Slowly, he makes his way closer and closer to the receptionist, clearly without an idea of what to do.

“Um,” he begins, and the man looks up, slightly frazzled.

At the sight of Tadashi, he smiles. “How can I help you?”

“My friends…” Yamaguchi says, hands waving to emphasize something (but what he was emphasizing, even he didn’t know). “Hinata Shouyou and Kageyama Tobio? They called, and said they were here…?”

“Oh, yes, of course,” The receptionist stands – Tadashi gulps because now he can see that this person is not _just_ a receptionist but a police officer in all his glory – and strides over to a closed door, right behind the desk. He knocks twice. “Ukai?” He calls through the door. “The friend is here.”

There’s a scuffle, before the door opens a crack. “Yamaguchi Tadashi?” Someone asks, the distant sounds of Hinata whooping and Kageyama scolding him acting as the backdrop to this otherwise unfairly intimidating atmosphere.

“That’s me…?”

The door opens wider. “Come in, we need to talk.”

Yamaguchi shuffles awkwardly towards the door, with no idea what he is in for. He relaxes a little at the sight of his two friends, sitting down in the seat across from them, as the officer follows close after.

“Tadashi,” Hinata breathes, taking hold of his hands over the table. He seems suddenly off, not like the Hinata he’s used to, golden eyes wide as he articulates, “I need to ask you for the biggest favor ever, okay?”

“Sure, okay…?”

There’s a noise under the table, one which sounds suspiciously like Kageyama kicking Hinata, but the redhead plows on. “Can Kageyama stay with you for a while?” The two knock shoulders as Kageyama moves to grab his head and Hinata pushes him away. “He doesn’t want to ask, but there’s nothing else I can think of.”  

Bewildered, Yamaguchi only asks in return, “You mean stay at my dorm…?”

Hinata nods, patting an abruptly tame Kageyama on the back. “I know it’s against the rules, but it’s just for a week, and I would take him in if I could, but … y’know how it is… with Natsu and I at home… and Yachi is going abroad soon and we agreed not to stress her out…” He trails off with a shrug.

“Um, I’m not objecting or anything but why does he need …?” Yamaguchi begins to ask, before the officer beside him shakes his head.

“Okay, we’re not going through this story again,” The man booms, clearly impatient. “Talk amongst yourselves in your own time, I just need a solid ‘yes’ or ‘no’, and then you need to get out.”

“… well, I don’t mind, but… “

“But…?” Hinata coaxes.

“I don’t know about my roommate…?”

“I won’t get in their way,” Kageyama promises quietly. “I’ll only be there to sleep.”

“I’ll take him in,” Yamaguchi says to the officer decisively. “Just for a week, right? Though any longer is fine, as long as I get permission...”

“No, that’s all. If someone catches on, please just direct them to me.” The officer visibly relaxes after saying that, smirking proudly. “That’s all now, you can go.”  

Yamaguchi nods, and sends Hinata and Kageyama both a look that clearly says they’re not off the hook with him just yet. Hinata only smiles in response, whilst Kageyama scowls, but doesn’t say anything.  

“Look after yourselves, kids.” The policeman says as they move to leave.

They nod their farewell to the officer and file out the door one by one. The man out the front smiles at them, leading them to the exit with a cheerful, “Have a nice day.”

“You too,” Yamaguchi and Hinata both reply, as Kageyama nods his head once more.

Once outside, however, Kageyama looks straight at Hinata, and starts, “You can’t just make decisions for me! I know what I want and what I don’t!”

“Well!” Hinata shrugs helplessly, “You said you didn’t have anyone, and I thought, ‘hang on, that’s wrong’ because you have your friends, don’t you? You have me and Tadashi and Hitoka, and we’re all here for you, and I won’t let you write us off like that!”

“I wasn’t – I wasn’t writing you off! I just didn’t think –”

“Yeah! You didn’t think! That’s why I came in to save you!” Hinata frowns, his stance uncertain as he looks up at Yamaguchi and then back at Kageyama. Yamaguchi just lets them have at it, clueless but knowing he can always ask them to fill him in later. They’d have time. Hinata claws at his hair, as he continues, “Tadashi agreed, so you’re staying with him, and that is final.”

Kageyama looks like he’s about to object, so Yamaguchi takes that as a cue to intervene.

“It’s really alright, you know. I don’t mind.”

It’s at the traffic light where they stop, silently coming to the agreement that they would walk Hinata to the station before parting ways. Kageyama is uncharacteristically fidgety, so, in an attempt to dissolve the tension, Yamaguchi places a hand on his shoulder and asks, “Hey… are you okay?”

“Sorry for the trouble,” Kageyama says, clear and apologetic for the burden. Hinata, on the other side of him, chooses wisely to remain quiet. His bright eyes, however, convey enough. He’s a little guilty too, and wishes for nothing more than to fix everything.  

“It’s no trouble,” Yamaguchi replies, smile genuine. “What are friends for?”

* * *

 

When Yamaguchi brings someone home for the first time, Tsukishima’s only thought is _you should have warned me, we don't have a code for this yet_. He tries to say this through his expression alone – a futile action, as no-one but his brother had ever been able to read his thoughts just by looking at his face – and, as expected, Yamaguchi does not understand what he wants to say.

“I know I should have said something earlier,” he begins, when Tsukishima’s already mentally running through the list of people he can _actually_ bear to spend the night with. “But stuff came up, and well, long story short…”

Tsukishima’s list finally ends at Sugawara; someone he can tolerate is better than someone he can’t (read: the only other option was Kuroo, who is made ten times worse by his rooming with Bokuto), when Yamaguchi pushes his guest forward.

“This is Kageyama,” he says, as the aforementioned guest nods mutely. “He’s in need of a place to stay, and it’ll only be a week, so is it okay if he stays here?”

Tsukishima blinks. “What?”

He makes the mistake of looking Yamaguchi in the eye, because there’s something akin to pleading in there and oh god, he’s already resigning to it – what is this sorcery? What kind of magic is this?

An assenting grunt escapes his mouth before he can stop it, but ever the expert in social cues (read: not), Yamaguchi mistakes it for disapproval anyway.

“Please, Tsukishima,” He continues, eyebrows furrowed, teeth gnawing on his bottom lip, “I know I’m in the wrong for not telling you beforehand, but he won’t bother you, and I’ll make it up to you somehow –“

“Whatever.”

Yamaguchi halts. Kageyama, for the most part, is still looking at the ground.

“So… it’s okay…?”

“You’re asking for my permission after you’ve already brought him here. I don’t care what you do with him. It’s whatever to me.”

Tsukishima watches as Yamaguchi brightens, looking at him as if he had just handed the moon over on a silver platter.

“Thank you, Tsukki!” He says, teeming with gratitude. His expression is open and cheerful all of a sudden, the emerald green of his hoodie bringing out the colour of his eyes. Tsukishima is almost alarmed, unaware that simply agreeing to let this guy stay would garner such a response. He does, however, see Yamaguchi step on Kageyama’s foot, and tell him to express him thanks as well.

“Thanks,” Kageyama grumbles, considerably less excited.   

“You’re not my problem,” Tsukishima shoots back, inappreciative of his attitude, “Don’t expect me to treat you like a king.”

It’s completely unintentional, of course, but something in that sentence strikes a chord in Kageyama, and he raises his head to glare at Tsukishima full-on. Huh. Interesting.

Yamaguchi’s gaze darts between the two, and his desperate move to break the animosity is to bonk Kageyama on the head. Tsukishima bites back a laugh.

… actually, no, he doesn’t. He laughs and Kageyama glares a hole right through him. Yamaguchi chooses that moment to bonk the boy again, scolding him for misconduct.

“He’s like a dog,” the blond comments, as Kageyama frowns at being chastised.

“You’re like a dog,” Kageyama retorts. An actual 5-year-old.

“Wow. For that, you get an A+ for effort.”

“Oh, yeah? W-well, you get an A, because you’re an asshole!”

“Guys…” Yamaguchi intervenes, before it can escalate. “… let’s not do this today, okay?”

And, with the same kind of sorcery as before (how on earth is Yamaguchi doing that?), the argument is quelled.

They all get ready for bed in relative silence. Moving Kageyama in for the week is easy, seeing as from quick observation, his only valuables are a worn volleyball and his wallet and phone anyway. His things are all dumped unceremoniously on Yamaguchi’s side of the dorm, and he has no problem pulling out the spare pillows and blankets to make a nest on the floor.

Out of the corner of his eye, Tsukishima watches as his roommate pulls the cushions off their armchair, and sheepishly informs their guest that he will find a better sleeping arrangement for him tomorrow. Kageyama shakes his head, clearly uncomfortable with intruding, and gets to work piling a makeshift bed on the floor, ever polite in his friend’s presence while still sparing moments to glower at Tsukishima for some peculiar reason. It pisses him off.

He decides it’s fine to just leave it for now. If he had gone to Sugawara’s, he would have had to deal with Suga’s roommate Oikawa anyway, and for the record, Tsukishima wouldn’t go near Oikawa with a six-foot pole. Even on a good day.

* * *

 

Waking up is the worst. Kageyama, as promised, is quick out of bed and leaves a note saying he’ll meet Yamaguchi later at the campus café to talk, but one look at Tsukishima, and Yamaguchi’s shrinking back under the covers, knowing full well that this whole ordeal might have set their non-existent relationship back even more. On the other side of the room, scrolling through his phone, Yamaguchi sees his roommate positively dripping with disdain.  

Tsukishima, at least, is not good with mornings to begin with.

Choking down the thoughts that tell him _Tsukki’s mad at me for real now,_ Yamaguchi takes the time to just observe the blond as the other gets up at 8 on the dot and moves about to prepare for his morning class. He’s expecting nothing from this – for Tsukishima to grab his headphones and leave in silence, probably – so it comes as a surprise when the phrase, “You have weird friends,” hangs in the air, one of the first slices of small talk that Tsukishima had ever willingly provided.

Yamaguchi shoots up, ignorant of his hair sticking up in every direction, and is quick to defend, “Kageyama’s not that weird.”

Tsukishima just scoffs, swinging his bag over his shoulder and making his way out. “Sure he isn’t,” he answers, stepping into his shoes. And for the first time since they’d roomed together, he throws over his shoulder, “See you later.”

While the door closes, Yamaguchi is still staring at it in shock.

“See you…” he says, an empty echo in the room. There’s no need for him to get excited about this, he knows, he really does, but it doesn’t stop him at all.

In a burst of confidence he never knew he had, Tadashi leaps out of bed and wrenches the door open again, calling, “See you later, Tsukki!” at his roommate’s retreating back. Said roommate stiffens, turns and glares weakly at him, and then after a moment of contemplation, sprints until he’s out of sight.

* * *

 

The café Kageyama had set for their meeting place was a familiar one. It had to be, naturally, being the closest café to the dorms, but when Yamaguchi is pulling up a chair, he wonders where on earth his friend has been all morning as there are leaves in Kageyama’s hair and he’s made no move to pick them off.

Being the person he is, he sees no reason not to inform Kageyama of the leaves, before plucking them from his friend’s hair and setting them on the table.

“Is Hinata coming?” he inquires, and the other only shrugs.

“If he comes, he comes.”

“Alright, then. You ordered yet?”

Kageyama tips his head to the side. “I was waiting for you, so no.”

“Right. I’ll go, then. What do you want?”

“Something with milk in it, preferably.”

“Mm,” Yamaguchi hums, making his way over to the register. “Be right back.”

“Hey, tall friend,” the cashier greets, all wide grins and raised eyebrows, and Yamaguchi suddenly remembers this guy. It’s the guy from weeks and weeks ago that he had used the ‘I’m tall, you’re tall, wanna be friends’ line with. That was embarrassing. Like the trooper he is though, he stands his ground and nods firmly like he means it.

“Hi…” His eyes flit to the nametag (that would’ve been a great start the first time around, eh?), which he reads aloud, “… Kuroo.”

“What’s up?” Kuroo grins, “Bit early to be on a date, don’t you think?”

Yamaguchi flails, quick to correct him. “We’re not on a date, we’re just friends.”

“I was just kidding,” the cashier laughs, waving him off. “What were you after?”

He prattles off the order easily, already having made the decision beforehand not to waste time pretending to look through a menu he can barely read (what size font is that? 8? Absolutely ridiculous), and mentally congratulates himself for not stuttering or looking more like the idiot the cashier probably thinks he is.

“Easy,” Kuroo replies, after punching in the order. His tone turns sweet – but not fake sweet, which is an odd surprise – when he asks, “Can I have a name with that?”

“Yamaguchi,” he declares, and Kuroo’s smile only widens.

“Please wait, I’ll be right out.”

Zooming back over to the table where Kageyama is sitting, Yamaguchi seats himself with a sigh.

“That bad?” Kageyama asks, but it’s a question he doesn’t seem to expect an answer to, so Yamaguchi leaves it.

“Forget that, let’s get down to business. What happened yesterday?”

“Um. Right. Well.” Kageyama coughs into his hand. “First, we were only there because we had been _accused_ of stealing –“

“Oh, yeah, you told me that on the phone! How did that happen?”

“It doesn’t matter,” He responds quickly. “Anyway, we were accused, couldn’t pay the fine upfront, so we got arrested. Then I asked if I could call you, which I did, and you came. Then I got disowned, and uh… have to stay at your place for a week until my extremely distant relatives that you've never heard of return from vacation…?”

“… you know, I think your story has a few holes, Tobio.”

Kageyama sighs. “I suck at lying.”

“You do.”

“Sorry.”

“Not a problem.” Yamaguchi leans forward, resting his chin on his hands. “Are you gonna tell me the real story now?”  

“Sorry,” he repeats. “Yeah. Just give me a moment.”

“You’ve got all the time you need.”

Thankfully, the pause is only brief.

“I did.” Kageyama commences, trying to form the words. “I did steal something. Or try to.”

“Go on.”

“It was really dumb,” his voice falls lower. “It was for a bet.”

“With Hinata?”

“… yeah. Who else? And I got caught, obviously. But before I could do anything, the dumbass comes running out screaming something about being my accomplice, so we both got taken, I guess…”

“Well, that sounds like something he would do.”

“He’s an idiot.” Kageyama rolls his eyes, less downtrodden with the simple act of insulting Hinata. “But it’s true we couldn’t pay the fine, so they called my parents…”  

Yamaguchi narrows his eyes. “… and you got disowned?”

“Well – no, not exactly… it’s not that drastic… but I won’t be able to go back this week, so…”

“There’s more you’re not telling me, isn’t there?” Yamaguchi reaches out, watching his friend consider the question, and then seeing something akin to hurt in his eyes. It's only a glimpse, but he doesn't want to upset anyone today, so despite his curiosity, he sets the issue free for the time being. “It’s okay, I won’t force you to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“I’ll definitely tell you one day,” Kageyama promises, visibly relieved at having the prospect of spilling everything dropped for the day. But, Yamaguchi decides, it’s better that he doesn’t know if it can keep Kageyama happy. There’s nothing he wants more than for his friends (his only friends, at that) to be comfortable and feel safe in their skin, knowing that they have both time and space to gather themselves before they have to let the truth out.

“I’ll be waiting, then,” he reassures, and Kageyama nods his thanks.  

“Um, anyway,” The raven then breaks out awkwardly, “Tell me about Tsukishima.”

The subject change is quick, but it works. “Why? What about him?”

“He’s not exactly… nice to you, is he?”

Yamaguchi shrugs. “He’s okay? I don’t really mind. I think he really hated me at first, but he’s getting better. I hope.”

“If you think he hates you, why don’t you just switch roommates? That would make things easier, wouldn’t it?” Kageyama suggests innocently, as if that were the answer to all of his problems. Before he can answer, however, they’re interrupted by the arrival of their drinks.

“Hey, Yamaguchi. Trouble with your roommate?” Kuroo slides into the conversation smooth as water, though the waggling of his eyebrows makes the two customers regard him with undisguised suspicion. “Sorry, I just couldn’t help but overhear. Maybe I know them, though? I know a lot of people, after working here for so long. What’s their name?”

“Oh, uh, his name is Tsukishima,” Yamaguchi mumbles, figuring it would cause no harm to just say it aloud. “Tsukishima Kei.”

“Tsukishima Kei?” Kuroo repeats, expression glinting with interest as his slender fingers set the drinks onto the table. “No, I can’t say I’ve heard of him.”

* * *

 

Tsukishima is in class when he sneezes, and the resounding ‘bless you’s make him shudder in disgust. He doesn’t know why he hates it when somebody says that, but it might just be the unwanted attention on him – even for just the shortest moment.

He’s just recovering, when his phone vibrates in his pocket.

Without looking, he already knows who it is (who else would message him in class, good grief), but, because he’s technology-addicted modern day filth, he reaches for the device anyway.

**Kuroo (Ф** **∀** **Ф):** hey tsukki guess what I’m doing

**Kuroo (Ф** **∀** **Ф):** I’m doing squats so my ass matches my sass

**Tsukishima:** who are you

Needless to say, he wonders why he even bothers sometimes. That was a good 10 seconds of his life. Wasted. Gone. Never to return again. And he will never be able to unread those words.

* * *

 

Yamaguchi gets home late. Kageyama’s already crashed on the floor, if it’s any testament to just how late he’s returned. It might have been class, it might have been anything, really. He just needed to be alone for a while, and now he’s back. End of story.

Drained from the day’s events, he drags his feet straight into bed, falling into his pillow face-first.

_Switch roommates…?_ Sure, he had certainly considered it. But there’s no point to it, really. Everyone is already settled and comfortable with each other at this point in the semester, and doing so might sap way too much of his energy in his worry that his new roommate won’t like him, either.

Not to mention, he thinks that Tsukishima might have started to actively avoid him.

It was only one occurrence or two, but he had seen him on the way to both his classes that day, and had been utterly ignored.  

Maybe that’s just jumping to conclusions though. Maybe.

He’ll see what he can do tomorrow. Thinking takes too much effort. He'd come up with something new in the morning, he's sure. 

* * *

 

There’s a sudden shift in their relationship in the following week. It’s not just the silent, slightly ominous presence of Kageyama, either. Tsukishima doesn’t know what to think of it – the fact that Yamaguchi suddenly started talking _less_ and doing _more_ – but it doesn’t come as much of a shock as it does complete confusion.

There’s a cake on his desk.

He’s wary of it, knowing nothing of its origin, but also knowing that the only other people with a key to this room would be either Yamaguchi or their RA; and it would take an easy guess at who put the darn thing there in the first place. It was certainly not Kageyama, and he could say that with 100% chance of being right, because it goes without saying that he would not do such a thing. Not that guy. Not with that attitude. 

It's a pretty cake, though.

Tsukishima doesn’t know if he wants to touch it, despite it looking as photogenic as any cake has the right to be, but he doesn’t know what will happen to it if he doesn’t touch it, either. Logically, the cake needs to be moved, because he needs to put things on that desk, so after a long staring contest with the food item, he decides _to hell with it_ and starts poking at it with a plastic fork. The strawberry falls off the top with a soft thud. He moves it away with his fork, ignoring the temptation to just eat it.

It’s only then when he realizes that there is a message written on a chocolate plate that says, ‘truce?’ on the side and he has to wonder.

‘Truce’… meaning what? ‘Truce’ meaning… there was a fight in the first place? Since when?

He blinks, trying to comprehend the meaning of the cake. If it really was Yamaguchi that placed it there, then did he want him to make a truce with _him_ or with Kageyama? Because if it was the latter, it wasn’t happening. Just saying.

* * *

 

Yamaguchi can’t say he is anything but stunned when he opens the door to his dorm, and his name falls from his roommate’s lips without warning. It’s a pleasant surprise, after he gets over the initial shock, because he thinks that maybe food bribery was the way to his roommate’s heart, after all.

“Yamaguchi.” There is a fork in Tsukishima’s hand, and it’s pointing at the peace cake that the other had bought earlier. There are stab holes on the surface of the cake, and Yamaguchi realizes belatedly that the cake was nothing but suspicious, and he should have probably left a longer note beside it. Whoops.

“Oh, yeah,” Yamaguchi straightens, knowing well that the blond has the right to be perplexed. It’s not every day that a cake shows up on one’s desk, with only a word of explanation. “That’s yours. It’s safe to eat, don’t worry.”

“Why is it here?”  

“Um, it’s for you?”

“I got that the first time.” Tsukishima’s gaze hardens, like he’s unused to receiving any form of gift without a solid reason. “But why?”

“Because … um…”

… good question. Why on earth had he thought it was an acceptable idea to just give his roommate cake again? It had been 6am in the morning when he had thought of it, and let it be known to the world that Tadashi is not a morning person. Now he has to fix his own mistake.

(Or maybe, it had actually worked…?)

“Forget I asked,” Tsukishima backtracks, seeming to sense his discomfort and not being cruel enough to extend it. “I don’t care. I’ll eat it.”

“You’re welcome,” Yamaguchi chirps, happy to not have to explain himself.

A few moments of silence pass, before Tsukishima quietly mutters, “… thanks.”

“I think we have this backwards, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi laughs, but it doesn’t hold any malice. Putting his bag down, he flops onto his own chair, spinning so he can face his roommate.

Tsukishima seems to mull over his words for a moment, before he finally answers, “… you can just say ‘you’re welcome’ again and it’s fine.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Thanks.”

“You did it again!” Yamaguchi pulls his legs up, so he’s sitting cross-legged on the chair. “You’re welcome, for the last time.”

“… thanks.”

“No, Tsukki, you can’t keep saying thank you! The cycle will never end!”  

The other turns around at that, deeming the act of shoving a strawberry into his mouth a suitable response, but Yamaguchi swears he saw his roommate hiding a smile.

* * *

 

**Kuroo (Ф** **∀** **Ф):** yamaguchi?? more like

**Kuroo (Ф** **∀** **Ф):** yamacutie

**Kuroo (Ф** **∀** **Ф):** am I right

**Tsukishima:** what do you want

**Kuroo (Ф** **∀** **Ф):** I can’t believe he bought you cake

**Tsukishima:** what do you want

**Kuroo (Ф** **∀** **Ф):** and it was your FAV

**Tsukishima:** go away

**Kuroo (Ф** **∀** **Ф):** you wanna know how I know that???

**Tsukishima:** no

**Kuroo (Ф** **∀** **Ф):** he bought it on my shift lmao

**Kuroo (Ф** **∀** **Ф):** I even picked it out for him bc I knew it was for you

**Kuroo (Ф** **∀** **Ф):** call it a dad’s instinct

**Kuroo (Ф** **∀** **Ф):** he’s precious

**Kuroo (Ф** **∀** **Ф):** I want to adopt him

**Tsukishima:** please don’t

**Tsukishima:** also you’re not a dad

**Kuroo (Ф** **∀** **Ф):** but if I adopt yamaguchi then

**Tsukishima:** no

* * *

 

Progress on Yamaguchi’s part, however, is a lot harder after the first big step. After the cake, and his subsequent discovery that his roommate is a filthy sweet tooth that relies on sugar to survive, Tsukishima – some way or another – clams up once more. It might just be coincidence, he muses, after he walks into the room just as Tsukishima is walking out, but then again, it might not be.

It’s not until he’s found himself in a familiar situation that he realizes just how odd their sort-of relationship has become.

He’s sitting on his bed, reading idly through his notes, when, just as if nothing had ever changed between them, Tsukishima walks in, slides his headphones on, and sits at his desk. The laptop comes on almost instantly, the watery glow of the screen illuminating Tsukishima’s features as he gets to work without so much as a glance in the other’s direction.

No noise would break the other’s concentration, and not a word would free Tsukishima from his electronic trance.

So, Yamaguchi, a creature of habit, lets go just like he used to, and talks.   

* * *

 

Tsukishima is busy contemplating  _when_ Yamaguchi will stop talking - it's a social experiment, hush, he's curious as to how long one can talk thinking that no-one can hear them - when Kageyama walks in and ruins it. He doesn't turn to acknowledge the boy, though he hears him engaging in light conversation with his roommate, and instead continues typing mundanely into his laptop. If anyone had asked, no, he was  _not_ listening in on them, he had just been conveniently placed in a position where he was within hearing range, and thus, was going to hear the conversation whether he liked it or not.

Interestingly enough, the topic of conversation surrounded the very activity Yamaguchi was previously entertaining himself with - talking to a brick wall (ahem, to Tsukishima with his headphones on, oh dear) - and he doesn't miss the rise in suspicion that comes from Kageyama more-observant-than-he-seems Tobio. Luckily, if Kageyama senses something is off, he is quick to dismiss it, and is already setting up his bed again by the time Tsukishima deems it safe to remove his headphones.

He doesn't even have to feign surprise. Both of the other occupants of the room accept his dry, "Oh, it's you." like it was how he greeted everyone. The perks of being ... well, Tsukishima Kei, he supposes.

It's 9pm when Kageyama goes to bed, much to Tsukishima's disbelief. Even in high school, he had never slept that early. What  _is_ Kageyama, exactly?

Yamaguchi makes his way to bed at around 11, which is more understandable, at least.

Tsukishima on the other hand, has started surfing the aggressively intriguing tidal wave of the internet, and is not going to hit the sheets anytime soon.  

In fact, it’s 3am when Tsukishima finally decides to retire from reading articles online and says farewell to a healthy sleep schedule. It’s also 3am when his phone lets him know that he’s not the only one. He swears Kuroo is psychic or something. He would not put it past him.

**Kuroo (Ф** **∀** **Ф):** wake up tsukki bokuto has a question

**Bokutoot (•ө•):** TSUKKI I HAVE AN IMPORTANT QUESTION

**Tsukishima:** go away

Now, the blond knows that, in fact, there is a 9 out of 10 chance that it is _not_ an important question. Last time the two had messaged him at this time or night (morning?), it had been about what to call a fusion between an owl and a cat, for goodness’ sake. The other time was because Bokuto had a craving for frozen peas.

**Bokutoot (•ө•):** BUT IT’S IMPORTANT

**Kuroo (Ф** **∀** **Ф):** yeah it’s very important

**Tsukishima:** I don’t care

**Tsukishima:** leave me alone

**Bokutoot (•ө•):** TSUKKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

**Kuroo (Ф** **∀** **Ф):** we’ll spam you

**Kuroo (Ф** **∀** **Ф):** we’ll do it

**Kuroo (Ф** **∀** **Ф):** you know we would

**Kuroo (Ф** **∀** **Ф):** do you want a repeat of last Christmas

**Tsukishima:** what’s the question

**Bokutoot (•ө•):** OH OH OH

**Kuroo (Ф** **∀** **Ф):** HO HO HO

**Bokutoot (•ө•):** OKAY

**Bokutoot (•ө•):** SO THE QUESTION IS

**Kuroo (Ф** **∀** **Ф):** THE VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION IS

**Bokutoot (•ө•):** do you know how

**Kuroo (Ф** **∀** **Ф):** do you knoooow

**Bokutoot (•ө•):** how two dudes

**Bokutoot (•ө•):** do the ding dong?

**Tsukishima:** I’m leaving

**Kuroo (Ф** **∀** **Ф):** frick frack

**Bokutoot (•ө•):** dingle dangle

**Kuroo (Ф** **∀** **Ф):** horizontal tango

**Bokutoot (•ө•):** beep beep beep

**Tsukishima:** stop this

**Kuroo (Ф** **∀** **Ф):** bing bang bong

**Tsukishima:** good bye

**Kuroo (Ф** **∀** **Ф):** no come back this is important

**Bokutoot (•ө•):** do the doodly do

**Bokutoot (•ө•):** WAIT

**Bokutoot (•ө•):** TSUKKI IF YOU DON’T KNOW THEN WHO DO WE ASK NOW

“Tsukki…?”

Tsukishima’s gaze snaps up, and even in the dark, he can see his roommate stirring, and curses under his breath. His phone _is_ on vibrate, but he supposes the influx of messages wouldn’t help that matter at all.

“Go back to sleep,” he commands, more out of panic than anything else. He hadn’t meant to wake Yamaguchi, and especially not for… whatever was blowing up on his phone. He spares Kageyama a brief glance, but the guy sleeps like a log. Nothing could wake him up but his own body clock. There is scientific evidence.  

“You have… a class…” Yamaguchi breaks his sentence to yawn, “… tomorrow. Early one, too.”

“I’ll survive.”

**Tsukishima:** you woke him up

**Tsukishima:** good night

**Bokutoot (•ө•):** WHO???

**Kuroo (Ф** **∀** **Ф):** LOOK YOU DO HAVE A HEART

**“** You should sleep while you still can,” Yamaguchi says sleepily, “You know when finals come around, it will be hell…”

“I’m just about to go,” he replies evenly, muting the conversation and leaning out of the bed to plug his phone into the wall. “Sorry for waking you.”

“Mm, it’s no problem…” Already nodding off again, Yamaguchi falls back into slumber, leaving Tsukishima wondering if that whole conversation was even real. No matter, he’d fall asleep soon anyway, so there is no point in sweating the small stuff.

Except he doesn’t. He doesn’t fall asleep.

He lies awake, staring at the blurry, uninteresting ceiling with his mind on overdrive – thinking about mortality, fish, strawberries, decisions he regrets, how much it would cost to run a circus, the fragility of humanity, what kind of a machine would bring dinosaurs back to life – thinking about all the things one tends to think about at 3am in the morning, when it happens.

He actually _considers_ the question Kuroo and Bokuto had asked him, and _wonders_.

_Fuck. How would two guys do it…?_

Oh man. He is going to kill Kuroo in the morning.

_… but it’s already morning. Look, the sun is rising. Kei, this is why we don’t stay up on school nights. See what happens? Now you’re going to go to class and not understand any of it, because you’re too fucking tired, and like 1% smarter than yesterday._

_Was it worth it?_

_No._

_No, it was not._

_You are officially banned from searching up ‘interesting whale facts’ for a whole week._

The alarm from his phone starts bleeping, and then Tsukishima knows that he’s officially wrecked himself for the day ahead. That was an all-nighter he should definitely not have pulled, but those hours were gone, there’s no going back, and at this point in time, there’s no going forward either.

He gets up groggily, feeling for his glasses and sliding them on. Great. Step one complete. Now… what class did he have again…? Ugh… he brings his hands to his temple, wracking his brain for some semblance of a coherent schedule.

A soft laugh from nearby catches him off guard. When he looks up, Yamaguchi immediately stops, with a hand over his mouth.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh at you,” he says, awfully chipper considering how he usually deals with mornings just as badly as Tsukishima does. It’s almost like karma hates him today. “You just,” Yamaguchi adds with a giggle, “You look like you haven’t slept in weeks and you’re about to commit murder.”

He raises an eyebrow. “And you think this is a laughing matter?”  

“Sorry,” Yamaguchi responds, but he doesn’t look sorry at all.

“Never again.” Tsukishima seethes, feeling a headache coming on. “I’m never pulling an all-nighter again.”

“Good luck with that.” There’s amusement in his tone, but Yamaguchi goes easy on him and doesn’t tease him too much. “You must have had a pretty good reason to stay up all night, huh?”

“I didn’t,” the blond confesses with a groan. “That’s why this sucks.”

He has no idea why, but Yamaguchi starts to smile, and it’s a lot more positively charged than usual. If that even sufficed as a description. Tsukishima values sleep and he has had none, so he really isn’t at the top of his game today.

“You can always take the day off,” Yamaguchi muses, the sunlight from the window behind him casting a halo of light around his now seated figure. He pulls the blankets around himself still, looking much like a hot dog would if hot dogs could stand upright. Fuck. Tsukishima is way too tired to be dealing with this today. He’d probably fall on top of Kageyama if he tried walking. That would not be fun.

“You’re smart,” Yamaguchi continues much too cheerily, “You’ll catch up.”

“I can, but if I don’t do anything productive today, I think I will actually kill something.”

“Fair enough.”

“Why are you up so early?”

“There was sunlight in my face.”

“Oh. Makes sense.”

“Yeah.”

Their conversation trails off there. Tsukishima gets out of bed – like, finally gets out, with his feet firm on the carpet and everything (surprise, he doesn’t fall on Kageyama like he expected, which is a bonus) – and gets ready to go to class. He’s just on his way to the bathroom when his phone decides to unmute itself (just as phones are wont to do) and he gets yet another message from the one who seems hell-bent on ruining his peace. One of these days, he is going to block him. One of these days.

**Kuroo (Ф** **∀** **Ф):** good morning sunshine

Goddamn Kuroo Tetsurou. He idly wonders if Kuroo even did anything with his time apart from go out of his way to bother him. Does Kuroo even go to class? Does Kuroo even go here?  

**Tsukishima:** please kindly fuck off

**Kuroo (Ф** **∀** **Ф):** I have a new question for you today, Tsukki

**Tsukishima:** I don’t want to hear it

**Kuroo (Ф** **∀** **Ф):** are you gay yet

Just because he can, and he’s tired, he goes for a little payback. Or, not payback exactly. He goes for a little something called ‘stirring shit up’. Yeah. He’s kind of good at that. Wouldn’t it be funny if karma came back to hit him all in one day? Maybe in the foreseeable future? Nah. That wouldn't happen.

**Tsukishima:** you know what 

**Tsukishima:** **…**

**Tsukishima:** you may be onto something

**Kuroo (Ф** **∀** **Ф):** O H  S H I T

**Bokutoot (•ө•):** OHOHO SHIT

**Bokutoot (•ө•):** HOW THE TABLES HAVE TABLED

**Kuroo (Ф** **∀** **Ф):** TURNED

**Bokutoot (•ө•):** HOW THE TURNED HAVE TABLED

**Kuroo (Ф** **∀** **Ф):** OH MY GOD

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (○∇○) it's about to get gayer up in here (○∇○) wooooo

**Author's Note:**

> (*ﾟﾛﾟ)


End file.
